Sticky Console
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 158
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From: Wake Forest NC
Sticky Console
It appear that it's been a few years since anyone has addressed this issue, so I'll tell my story here.
The problem was that my shift plate console was extremely sticky and no matter what cleaner I applied, it made no improvement. So to this forum I went...to see what others have done to fix the problem.
I learned that the Dulso coating (a thin rubbery substance applied over the plastic by the factory) does deteriorate in some situations, causing the stickiness. My 95 C4 has been a garage queen all of it's life so the cause of the stickiness clearly was not due to intense heat. I'm not sure why it happens.
I did a search of the forum to learn how to fix the issue and found several ideas and solutions. I chose to go with what I thought was the "safest" chemical to apply.
I removed the console plate form the car and then removed the small door (over the cup holders). Doing all this on my work bench, I applied the Non-acetone Nail Polish Remover with a rag (purchased from Wal-Mart for less than $2). It required a lot of rubbing and scraping with my thumb nail, but after a couple hours it was down to the original plastic. This was a messy job in that as the Dulso comes off in small pieces it is very sticky.
I then sanded the console and door with dry 600 grit sand paper and thoroughly washed it before applying the Dupli-color flat black paint and clear coat as seen in the pictures.
I reinstalled everything and it looks fantastic. The paint is a perfect match to the adjacent dash, etc.
The problem was that my shift plate console was extremely sticky and no matter what cleaner I applied, it made no improvement. So to this forum I went...to see what others have done to fix the problem.
I learned that the Dulso coating (a thin rubbery substance applied over the plastic by the factory) does deteriorate in some situations, causing the stickiness. My 95 C4 has been a garage queen all of it's life so the cause of the stickiness clearly was not due to intense heat. I'm not sure why it happens.
I did a search of the forum to learn how to fix the issue and found several ideas and solutions. I chose to go with what I thought was the "safest" chemical to apply.
I removed the console plate form the car and then removed the small door (over the cup holders). Doing all this on my work bench, I applied the Non-acetone Nail Polish Remover with a rag (purchased from Wal-Mart for less than $2). It required a lot of rubbing and scraping with my thumb nail, but after a couple hours it was down to the original plastic. This was a messy job in that as the Dulso comes off in small pieces it is very sticky.
I then sanded the console and door with dry 600 grit sand paper and thoroughly washed it before applying the Dupli-color flat black paint and clear coat as seen in the pictures.
I reinstalled everything and it looks fantastic. The paint is a perfect match to the adjacent dash, etc.
Last edited by SteveBlakeman; Sep 24, 2017 at 07:23 PM.
